Interfaces for various system administration applications can be inconsistent, requiring the user to learn each one of a variety of different system-administration applications. Typical system administration applications are hard to use and confusing for the non-technical user. The following are examples of the problems that users face:
Prerequisites and background knowledge. Users can get stuck when they must perform an administration task and do not know enough about the system to start or to complete the task. For example, users might want to share a file on the network, but do not know that in order to share an individual file, they must share the file's directory.
Information overload. Users can lose patience and feel overwhelmed when they must perform an administration task and are deluged with information from many sources: “Read this first!” documents packaged in the system box, release notes, books, and the Web. Their frustration is compounded when the information is only partly relevant or consistent.
Risk of system damage. Users can hesitate before performing an administration task that they perceive may damage the computer, whether or not there is real risk. Other users try ad hoc methods and unknowingly do system damage when trying to perform an administration task. For example, a user accustomed to a single-user system like a Macintosh might always log into the root account; to free up disk space, the user might remove large files that could be important to system operation.
Lack of confidence in result. Users who try to perform an administration task might not be certain that what they tried had the intended effect. For example, commands in prior systems that are issued at the command line sometimes return an invisible return code, and few state in plain English what has happened and what ramifications to expect.
Entry points difficult to find. Users and systems administrators can use different terminology when thinking about their systems, which makes it difficult for users to find and use the tools they need.
Error recovery. When something goes wrong, users can get stuck and not know how to fix the problem. For example, a user who unwittingly removes/Unix might continue to use the system for days or weeks until the system is rebooted, at which point it can be difficult to track down what went wrong, why, and how to fix it.
Deciding what to do next. Users might not know what to do next when they've run an unfamiliar command, whether the command seemed to have the desired effect or not. Users can become confused when there is no feedback informing them how far they've come in an administration task or what their options are at any given point.
Thus, there is a need for an infrastructure for building common, consistent, task-based user interfaces to applications that configure, manage, and monitor hardware and software.